© 2021 JETIR August 2021, Volume 8, Issue 8 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND IMPACT OF COVID Mrs. Deepti Singh, Associate Professor, Avinash Degree College, Himayat Nagar Mr. Adarsh Dayal Singh, Student Abstract: The Student has been undertaken to study the various types of Disaster Management and the impact of Covid in the present scenario. The World is facing a giant issue in the form of Covid and it needs to be fought against. This study includes the various groups affected by Covid and measures undertaken by the Government authorities to fight against it. Keywords: Disaster Management, Disaster Management Cycle, COVID-19, Pandemic. Introduction What is Disaster Management? One of the biggest challenges of disaster, or emergency, management is the need to be prepared for a wide range of contingencies. A good place to begin a discussion of disaster management is by considering what constitutes a disaster. Defining Disaster According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: “More people are becoming vulnerable to disasters or are forced to cope with acts of violence, financial crises and growing uncertainty, often without adequate support from their governments.” Disasters can be either natural or human-made events and can include pandemics, technological disasters or environmental cataclysms. Disaster types include the following: Earthquakes Tornadoes Hurricanes Pandemics Volcano eruptions Wildfires Floods Mass shootings Acts of terror Nuclear explosions JETIR2108253 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org c14 © 2021 JETIR August 2021, Volume 8, Issue 8 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) Chemical emergencies Cascading disasters in India during the Pandemic period, reinforce the need for effective and ethical leadership across all sectors and levels of government– 1. Cyclone Nisarga: In June, cyclone nisarga struck the western coast of the country making landfall in Maharashtra. At least 6 were reported dead with more than 12,440 acres of land left severely damaged. Originating in the Arabian sea, Nisarga was the second cyclone to strike the Indian Continent within 2 weeks of Cyclone Amphan. With a wind speed of 110km/hr Nisarga became the strongest storm to strike the state in the month of June since 1891. State Government estimated the damage caused by Nisarga at over Rs. 6000 crores. The cost of recovery was estimated at around Rs. 1100 Crores. 2. Locust Attack: Between 2019 and 2020, India witnessed one of its worst locust attacks in decades. Outbreaks of the insect attack in decades. Outbreaks of the insect attack were reported from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The locust entered India from Iran and Pakistan. In 2020, the first swarms were spotted in January in Gujarat’s Banas-kantha district, which shares a border with Pakistan’s desert areas. In May, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh were severely affected by locust swarms measuring a km wide, a worst locust attack in 27 years. In June, millions of locust swarmed on a massive scale in Gurgaon, Delhi-NCR region, making it look like a sand storm. The locust plague originated in East Africa in 2019 and affected as many as 23 countries through April 2020. When periods of heavy rainfall follow periods of relative drought, solitary desert locust emerge to feed on new growth foliage and lay eggs in the newly moist soil, which prevents them from drying out and enabling their population growth. 3. Cyclone Nivar: In late November, Cyclone Nivar struck southern India with severe impact in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh while rains were also reported in Sri Lanka. Nivar made its landfall over Tamil Nadu between Puducherry and Chennai close to Mahabalipuram. 8 People were reported dead in Andhra Pradesh. As many as 1,12,000 people were affected and 2294 houses were damaged and 6133 homes were left stranded. In Andhra Pradesh, the administration estimated a loss over Rs.500 crores. In Tamil Nadu more than 1 lakh people were evacuated and were sheltered in 1000 relief centres. In Puducherry, state administration estimated initial loss in agriculture and other sectors at Rs 400 crores. Over all, Nivar caused damages worth more than Rs. 4000 crores. 4. Cyclone Burevi: In December, Cyclone Burevi made landfall in Sri Lanka before heading to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The Cyclone caused at least 11 deaths and 5 people were reported missing. Crops damage was also reported in several areas. 5. Kerala Floods: In August, Kerala recorded heavy rainfall in the monsoon season resulting in at least 22 casualties. This was the 3rd consecutive year where Kerala reeled under the floods. A red alert was issued in 3 districts of Wayanad, Kozhikode and Idukki. While an orange alert was issued in 5 other districts. The flood also led to a plane crash in which 18 people were reported dead. The Air India Express Flight 1344 had crashed due to the flooding of the Calicut airport runway and bad visibility. The state authorities estimated the loss to property, livestock and agriculture at Rs. 19000 crores. JETIR2108253 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org c15 © 2021 JETIR August 2021, Volume 8, Issue 8 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) 6. Assam Floods: Heavy rainfall and flooding of the Brahmaputra River in May came at a heavy cost for Assam with casualties widespread of destruction of property and agriculture. The flood in Assam this year affected more than 50 lakh people. As per records, as many as 123 people lost their lives in the floods while 26 died due to landslides. More than 1.5 lakh people had to seek refuge in camps as residents in 5474 villages suffered flooding. The flooding began just before harvest season and caused destruction to more than 2,67,203 hectares of crops and more than 45000 domesticated animals were either forced to flee or were abandoned. While North east India is known for receiving heavy rainfall. In the past few years flooding has become more severe. 7. Hyderabad Floods: In October, the South Western Coast received heavy rainfall due to a deep depression in North Indian Ocean affecting several states and Union Territories like Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Hyderabad experienced 32cms of record-breaking torrential rain creating flash floods. Rainfall recached over 110 mm in parts of Hyderabad, with heavier rainfall amounts outside the city. The Flash Floods led to casualties across states. At least 2 deaths were reported in Vijayawada, 50 people died in different parts of Telangana, including 19 in Hyderabad. In Maharashtra, 27 people were reported dead. Telangana administration estimated damages to cost Rs.5000 crores. A few days later, a second cyclone killed 2 more people in Hyderabad affecting more than 37000 families. 8. Oil and Gas leak in Assam: In May one of the wells at Oil India Limited, Bagh Jan Oilfield in Tinsukia district, Assam started leaking resulting in a blowout. The subsequent fire that started mid 2020 was reported to be burning till November. It started when the well no.5 at OIL started leaking natural gas and a few days later the well caught fire. The oil and gas leak resulted in two deaths, large scale local evacuations and environmental damage to the nearby Dibru-Saikhowa National Park. In January, centre had exempted all oil and gas firms conducting exploratory drilling from legal requirements for environmental clearance. Prior to the leak, in 2020, the region had also witnessed protest after the central government authorised OIL to explore the area under Dibrusaikhowa National Park for hydro-carbons. 9. Glacier burst: It has caused flooding in Chamoli District in Rishi Ganga, Dhauli Ganga and Alak Nanda rivers. The flood caused structural damage to the Tapovan Hydro-electrical Power Dam Project and the adjacent tunnel. Managing Disasters Specifically, disaster management is about organizing and directing resources to cope with a disaster and coordinating the roles and responsibilities of responders, private sector organizations, public sector agencies, non-profit and faith-based organizations, volunteers, donations, etc. The ultimate goal of the disaster-management leader is to minimize the event’s impact, something that involves preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. The 5 Stages of the Disaster-Management Cycle When properly implemented, the disaster-management cycle can lessen the impact of a catastrophic event. It can also incorporate the policies and emergency responses needed for a full, expedited recovery. The cycle involves the following five stages: JETIR2108253 Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (JETIR) www.jetir.org c16 © 2021 JETIR August 2021, Volume 8, Issue 8 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) 1. Prevention The best way to address a disaster is by being proactive. This means identifying potential hazards and devising safeguards to mitigate their impact. Although this stage in the cycle involves putting permanent measures into place that can help minimize disaster risk, it’s important to acknowledge that disasters can’t always be prevented. Prevention involves scenarios such as the following: Implementing an evacuation plan in a school, for example, showing teachers how to lead students to safety in the event of a tornado or fire Planning and designing a city in a way that minimizes the risk of flooding, for example, with the use of locks, dams or channels to divert water away from populous areas 2. Mitigation Mitigation aims to minimize the loss of human life that would result from a disaster. Both structural and nonstructural measures may be taken. A structural measure means changing the physical characteristics of a building or an environment to curb the effects of a disaster. For example, clearing trees away from a house can ensure that dangerous storms don’t knock down the trees and send them crashing into homes and public buildings.